Ironing machine



Aug. 1l, 1925'. 1,549,069

J. A. DIENNER IRONING MACHINE Filed sept. 15, 1921 `2 sneewsneet 1 Aug; l1, 1925. 1,549,069

J. A. DIENNER IRONING MACHINE Filed sept. 415. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 M Igf 45h/H 27 l 45 /52 2l/.I ,ff 40 N 9 O 5J 3435 53 5g Pa'r'lazNTV orifice.

JOHN A. DIENNEB, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IRONING MACHINE Application illed September 15, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. DIENNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, havel invented a certain new and useful Im rovement in Ironin Machines, of which t e following is afull,c ear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to ironing machines, and has particular reference to a means and method for heating the same.

The heating of domestic ironing machines for household use presents one of the most diiicult problems in the successful operation of these small ironing machines. In laundries Where mangles of large capacity are employed, the mangles have skilledattention to insure the maintenance of a proper ironing temperature, and the ironing operation is usually continuous so that the heat is held at a substantially uniform point. In the case of the household ironing machine,

however, the machine is subjected to the most unskilled attention, and frequently the ironing operation is irregular or interrupted so that the temperature ofthe heating surface fluctuates widely with the consequent possibility of scorching the clothes or not heating them enough. The tendency to. overheat the ironing element is due primarily to the inability to successfully regulatethe source of heat; and the tendency for the ironing surface to chill is due primarily to the lac of a stabilizing source oi heat havin sufiicient reserve to carry over the perio of high heat absorption. With either.

as or electricity as the direct heating meium, automatic regulation is made diiiicult as it involves. thermostats, valves, resist` ances, and other compllcated apparatus,

which should be avoided in any domestic ironing machine, owing to the cost of such apparatus and the unskilled attention available forl its operation. 1t is also obvious that'neither as nor electricity has any thermal reserve or meeting fluctuatingv temperature demands at thev ironing surface.

According to the present conception, I obviate these disadvantages by employing high pressure, high temperature steam as the heat transferring medium between a primary heating source, such as a, gas burner V or other source of heat, and the ironing surface, which may take the form of a roll, a

Serial Ho. 500,778.

of the ordinary domestic ironing machine,-

whereby a unitary constructionlis obtained. The temperature of the steamis susce tible to, easy regulation, this being preferab y accomplished by control mechanism responsive to pressures in the circuit, inasmuch as the pressure and temperature of the steam and Water confined in the closed heat transferring circuit has a high latent heat or heat reserve which is always avaliable for supplying an `increased uantity of heat to the ironing surface upon uctuations of temperature.

In the accompanying drawings illustratng a preferred embodiment of my invenion:

-Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a domestic ironing machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View through the ironing shoe and pad roller;

F1gure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view ofvone end of the ironing shoe;

Figure 4; is a diagrammatic view illustrating the closed heating circuit, and showing the high pressure boiler unit in section; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the ironing apparatus of a modified form of ironing machine illustrating a further application of my invention.

The ironing machine illustrated in Figurel 1 is of any conventional construction. For the purpose of illustrating the present inven tion a form comprising a rotating padded roll and an arcuate heating shoe has been chosen, although, as will hereinafter appear, the present invention has application to other types of ironing machines as well. A horizontal table 7 is supported by end standards 8, and has rising from its upper surface end standards 9 for supporting a roll 11 and an ironing shoe 12. The padded roll 11 has its ends journaled in the end standards 9--9 and has any suitable driving connection broadly designated at 13 with an electric motor 14 or other suitable source of power. The ironing shoe 12 is an arcuate casting having a polished ironing surface 15 embracing a considerable portion of the periphery of the padded roll 11. This ironing shoe is preferably rigidly supported between the end standards or brackets 9 9, the bearing supports for the padded roll 11 being preferably arranged to permit of its movement towards and away from the shoe 12, although this relation may be reversed, if desired, by arranging the shoe 12 for motionu relative to the roll. The shoe casting in one form of the invention is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots'16 which are grouped preferably equidistantly about the ironing surface 15 and are preferably extended substantially parallel for facility in inserting the heating coil which I shall now describe. Disposed in the bottoms of these slots are successive turns of the high pressure heating coil 18. The several turns 18 ofthe coil lie in close proximity .to the ironing surface 15 and have direct contact over a large portion of their area with the walls of the slots 16 for -direct and. rapid heat conduction to the ironingsurface. After the insertion of the heating coil in the slots the outer surface of the shoe is preferably covered by a sheet metal covering 19, a filling material being inserted in the slots 16 on top of the pipes 18 if desired. It is desirable that the entire heating sy'stem be hermetically sealed, or as nearly so as possible, into a closed circuit, and to this end the several turns 18 of the heating coil 18 are integrally united, as by welding, at their ends, or by constructing the entire coil of a single piece of wrought steel tubing. The parallel arrangement of the slots 16 permits the several turns of the coil to be simultaneously'inserted in the ironing shoe and thereby avoids the necessity of threaded end connections. The looped ends of the turns are preferably disposed in recesses 21 in the ends of the ironing shoe. i

Instead of a single continuous length of tubing, a plurality of tubes may be arranged in parallel, as shown in diagrammatic form in Figure 4. In this arrangement the heating coil or element comprises the upper and lower headers 20-20 and the transverse .tubes 30.

The boiler is designated 22 in its entirety and is located lon a shelf as extending longitudinally between end standards 8-8 below the table 7. The boiler 22 is preferably constructed in accordance with the teachings of Patent- Number 1,236,641 issued to William H. Winslow, and comprises one or more individualwater tube sections, one of which is shown in elevation in Figure 4. Each section comprises a pair of vertical risers or headers 24 and k25 which are connected by transverse tubes 26 that have their ends welded by autogenous welding to the headers Maase@ 24 and 25. The transverse tubes 26 preferably havev a greater inclination at the lower ends of the headers 24 and 25 than they have at the upper ends of said headers, and to this end the front header 24 is made of less length than the rear header 25. The transverse tubes are preferably slightly bowed in the plane of the section to relieve stresses which might be induced by unequal expansion. The boiler is built up of one or more sections and lthese sections are con-- kconvenient access to the boiler sections. The

lower end of the casing 32 forms a suitable fire box 34 into which projects the fuel burner 35 and the small pilot burner 36. Each section of the boiler is provided with a suitable baille member 37 secured to the transverse tubes in order to define a passage for the fire gases from the fire box 34 upward toheat intensely the lower right hand corner of the boiler, a's viewed in Figure 4. The casing 32 is spaced away from the front headers 24 of the boiler to define a flue passage 38 communicating at its lower end with the fire box 34 and at its upper end with the space 39 which is provided between the top of the casing 32 and the top of the boiler. The headers 24 and 25 are in contact with the side walls and are of greater diameter than the transverse tubes 26 so that they 'define walls substantially impervious to the passage of gases. The space 439 is closed off atthe rear of the boiler corner. of the boiler as viewed in Figure 4. From this point the gases ascend through a smoke flue 42 which is led vertically to a point above the height of the machine and-above the height of the opera-toi so as to emitl the gases of combustion into the upper part of the room. If desired this flow could be connected to discharge exteriorly, although it should be noted that this is not necessary as the gases discharged from the boiler are no more4 obnoxious than those from the ordinary gas burner which is usually incorporated in the ironing shoe. The inner walls of the casing 32 adjacent to fire box 34, the ilue 38 and thel upper space 39 are lined with a suitable refractory material 43 to protect the casing from the action of the heated gases.

lac

lit

'will be note ynumoee j In the form tra heating atlchow. in Figures 2 and 3 both endsv of the tube forming the heating coil 18 are led'down to the boiler 22, the end which communicates with the u per art of the coil being united to the en of e transverse steam header 29,- and the other end whichv connects vWlth the lower-part of the .heating coil being united to the end of the lower water header 31. These connecting portions of the tube can be covered with, asbestos or other suitable heat insulating material 49. In the form of heating element 18 shown in Figure 4 the upper header 2O is connected with the steam header 29 by way of pipe 44 and the. lower header 20 is connected by the water header 31 by way of pipe45. The burners 85 and 36 are supplied with a suitable fuel, preferably gas, from a main 46 under the control of a pressure responsive valve 47 which operates to graduate the amount of fuel gas supplied to the burner. The pilot burner 36 is connected by a separate pipe 48 with the supply pipe 46 anterior to the valve 47 and is maintained constantly l burning while the ironing machine is in operation. The pressure responsivel valve 47 is of any conventional design and 1s controlled by a diaphragm which 1s proof againstthe high temperatures and pressures prevailing in the heating circuit. The dlaphragm chamber 49 is providedY with a union or fitting 51 which may have through threaded connection in the end 45 of theheating coil, or which may be Welded into an integral unit With the adjoining portions of the tube 45, as illustrated, for maintaining a hermetic seal throughout the circuit. The diaphra is illustrated at 50 and it that it is shown as` being of metal and welded integrally to the flange of the chamber 49. As illustrative of this practice it has been demonstrated that successful metal diaphragms for the present pressures andl temperatures can be made of Monel or Aterute metals, and these can be successfully Welded to a metal support or housing such as the fitting 51. An conventional arrangement of spring an 52 may be arranged for controlling the motion of the diaphragm in the diaphragm chamber 49 and for transmitting this motion to the burner regulating valve `47.

Any suitable adjustment may be provided in the control apparatus for regulating the normal temperature prevailing at the 1r0ning surface 15. trated I have shown this as bein plished by a hand wheel 53 whic moves u or down on a thread en the end of the dlaphragm stem 54 for regulating the compression of the spring 52. By turning this hand wheel up or down the steam pressure is made operable to reduce the gas supply at a lower or higher point and thereby vary 4is maintained in the stem In the embodiment illusshoe.

the mean temprature at the ironing surface 15. For filling the system there is preerably extende a small pipe 55 from the uppermost point of the heating coil 18 to serve as anair trap. As any air that might accidentall 'be .contained in the would, un er the veri high pressure which oiler, oc'cu y a small space, it is apparent that vvery ittle room in the air tra 55 is necessary to contain such entraine air. The pipe 55 may be plugged or hermetically 'sealed' after the required amount of fluid has been inserted in the system. Water is not the sole liquid which can be employed in the present system as it may be found desirable to employ mercury or any other liquid having desirable characteristics as the vaporizable medium in the boiler. y

The level of the liquid in theboiler stands normally less than half way up the risers 24 and 25 whereby a fairly lar e space is provided in the upper parts o the risers and the upper transverse tubes 29 for heatingv and drying the steam as it is evolved. Inasmuch as this4 system comprises a closed cirsystem cuit the level of the liquid need not be particularly determined and it is immaterial whether the same be slightly higher or lower than above mentioned. The safety of the boiler is noteworthy. `The boiler and all parts under pressure are constructed of tubes of relatively small size capable of Withstandoperate to maintain a constant temperature at the ironingsurface 15. The coil or tubing 18 is, in each instance, arranged to drain he condensate back to the boiler.

By the use of saturated steam at a pressure corresponding to the desired temperature for-ironing a peculiarly even heat first along the length of the ironing shoe, i. e., longitudinal distribution along the shoe and next, a remarkably even heat from Atime to time regardless of the rate at which articles are ironed, may be maintained.

There is no tendency for the shoe to develop a hot spot or a cold spot, as is the case with present domestic ironing machines Awhen a gas flame is applied directly to the This is because the saturated steam tends to condense and give upl its latent heat of vaporization at the coldest point on the shoe. The action 1s, therefore, selective in applying the heat precisely where needed.

There is no tendency for the shoe to get too hot when ironing is 1nterr-upted, as is I 'the case with gas heated shoes of the prior art, because the steam will not give oil' any more heat after the shoe attains the temperature of the steam. Any further heat .applied to the boiler by the burner at this time will tend to evaporate more water and lraise the temperature of the steam in the stantly available to preventsuch chillingand, at the same time, any -reduction in pressure caused by sudden abstraction of heat from the 'shoe results in evolution of l steam from the water in the boiler and, at

the same time, results automatically in opening ofthe gas valve and increased fire under the boiler.

The system is designedl as aforesaid to carry great pressure, such as is required in the case of saturated steam, to maintain a temperature suitable for ironing the family wash, which includes starched goods.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a modified adaption of myf invention to a form of ironing machinel` employing a convex instead ofa concave ironing shoe 12. Two padded rolls 57 and 58 co-operate at top and bottom respectively` with a convex ironing shoe l2', both rolls being driven from a central power gear 59 connecting through chains 60 With sprockets 61 and 62 on the axes of the rolls. The sprockets 61 land 62, or the rolls 57 and 58, or both, are preferably proportioned whereby the lowerroll 58 revolves at a slightly higher 'peripheral speed than the roll 57 in order to stretch the fabric being ironed across Vthe surface of tlieshoe 12". In this embodiment I have shown the arrangement of heating coil il-v lustrated in Figure 4. The upper and lower headers 20 and 20 are extended longitudinally of the ironing shoe in slots 40, and the. cross tubes are vset into transverse slots 50. These slots are covered .by a plate 19 and-may be filled if desired after the insertion of the coil. This coil is connected with a boiler, as 22, and the general opera tion of this embodiment is'substantially the same as above described. The heating vcoil is preferably made of seamless steel or copper tubing.

I claim:

In an ironing machine suitable for domestic use, the combination of an ironing shoe, an ironing roller co-operating therewith, a boiler below the shoe, said boiler having a fixed charge of water artially filling the same, a heater for the boiler, a control member therefor, a heat radiating pipe, disposed in thermal contact with the shoe and arranged to be self draining, a steam supply pipe connecting the boiler to the upper lend of said heat radiating pipe,

to maintain the shoe at a temperature suitable for ironin starched goods.

In witness w ereof, Ihereunto subscribe my name this 10th day'of Sept., 1921.

JOHN A. DIENNER. 

